


Twist Your Arm

by akirerae



Category: Free!
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Phone Calls & Telephones, Post-Canon, author doesn't know how to come up with titles or summaries what else is new, haru being a tsun as usual, idk anymore I'm just tagging for tagging's sake now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2015-05-19
Packaged: 2018-03-31 08:35:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3971215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akirerae/pseuds/akirerae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dammit Makoto.</p><p>This was all his fault. If the guy wasn't so childish and hell bent on calling Haru every night ever since they settled in Tokyo, Haru wouldn't have his phone- a piece of technology which he usually rarely uses- right by his head in the middle of the night, staring holes into the dark as he wondered why on earth Makoto hadn't called him yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twist Your Arm

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another story that I was too lazy to develop.
> 
> Oh. And for those who don't recognize the English idiom, "twist (someone's) arm" basically means someone who's really good at convincing you to do something you normally wouldn't do.

Dammit Makoto.

This was all his fault. If the guy wasn't so childish and hell bent on calling Haru every night ever since they settled in Tokyo, Haru wouldn't have his phone- a piece of technology which he usually rarely uses- right by his head in the middle of the night, staring holes into the dark as he wonders why on earth Makoto hadn't called him yet. Wasn't he the one who was so insistent on talking to Haru until he fell asleep? It set him at ease- That was what Makoto said. 

Somewhere in between his internal grumbling, Haru had placed his hand over his phone. His eyes narrowed in annoyance. Why was he even considering calling? It was Makoto's problem in the first place. Why was he so worried about it?

After a few seconds of internal debate, Haru took his hand off his phone and rolled over onto his side, away from the darn thing. It was Makoto's problem. Haru shouldn't have to lose sleep over a wishy washy person's inability remember something that was to his own benefit in the first place.

He was going to sleep.

Slowly, Haru relaxed into his pillow and closed his eyes shut, allowing the sound of muted traffic blanket over him.

Going...to sleep.

After a moment of internal restlessness, he reopened his eyes with an annoyed huff. Fine. He'll give Makoto a call, but only because he didn't want to hear the idiot complain about not being able to sleep the next time Haru saw him.

Haru rolled onto his other side and grabbed his phone, grateful that his list of contacts was still fairly short. He found Makoto's number and dialed it before putting his phone on the ear not engulfed by the pillow, waiting for Makoto to answer.

About five rings later, a groggy voice made itself heard on the other line and steadily sounded more awake as it continued talking.

"....Hello? Who...Who is this? Did something happen?"

Haru felt his eye twitch. Oh, for the love of god. He didn't know if he should be exasperated that Makoto couldn't put two and two together that there was really only one possible person who could have called at this hour, or huff a laugh at the fact that the idiot, even though he didn't know who it was, was automatically concerned about whoever was on the other line of this call. Instead, Haru decided to tell him who was calling.

"Makoto."

There was a shift of blankets and his childhood friend's voice seemed more alert, borderline panicked. "Haru? Is something wrong? Do you need me to be over there?"

Haru rolled onto his back and stared irritably up at the ceiling. "No. I'm fine."

It sounded like Makoto had flopped back down on the bed. "Oh. Thank goodness. So what...?" There was a moment of silence and Haru could practically hear the gears turning in Makoto's head. "Oh! I completely forgot to call you, didn't I?"

Haru heaved a silent sigh. A question like that didn't even deserve any words, and it seemed like Makoto understood Haru's exasperation because the boy quickly started to gush out an apology.

"I'm so sorry! It's just that one of my classmates lent me a book. And well, I really like it. So, um, I guess I lost track of the time and nodded off." There was a moment's pause, followed by a sheepish laugh. "My light is still on, actually. Ah, anyway, I'm really sorry to have worried you, Haru."

The raven felt himself stiffen involuntarily and unfortunately, as if to spite him, Haru's brain was slow to come up with a reply.

"I...wasn't worried."

There was laughter on the other end. And worse yet, it was one of Makoto's knowing ones. "Whatever you say, Haru. Anyway, I'm still sorry for putting you through all this trouble. Um... Oh! I totally forgot that reading helps me fall asleep, and I think I'm getting used to this place now, so I won't bug you anymore with my calls."

Haru opened his mouth to say something- as to what he didn't exactly know- but Makoto unintentionally talked over him.

"Thank you so much for tolerating this for so long, Haru."

The warmth in Makoto's voice was a little bit too much. Haru turned his head to one side and mumbled, "...It was only for a month."

Airy laughter drifted down into Haru's ear. "That's still a bit too long for something like this, though. You must have found it troublesome, having to deal with me being so childish. Anyway, it's a bit late, isn't it? I'm sorry to have kept you up, Haru."

"It's fine."

"Well, thank you, anyway, Haru. Sweet dreams."

 

"Good night Makoto." Haru mumbled softly, his own eyes finally slipping to a close.

Maybe it's because he was so tired, but that night, Haru dreamt of the smile he sensed in Makoto's voice.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

All was fine and well until the next night when Haru found himself staring holes into the alarm clock by his bed, ignoring the annoying afterimage of numbers and dots that danced vividly under his eyelids every time he blinked.

It was 22:50, and Makoto should have called him forty minutes ago. They- or rather, Makoto would have done all the talking while Haru grunted in response- for about a good hour or so until Makoto fell asleep. Haru wasn't a late night person; he was always the first person to fall asleep, but he always found himself trying to stay awake until Makoto fell asleep first.

...He only did that because it was pointless to fall asleep first if Makoto was going to call him again and disturb his sleep.

Haru glanced at the clock again. 22:57. He sighed softly. And tomorrow he had to be up early for the joint jogging session he had with his team.

Dammit Makoto.

So that was when Haru found himself calling his best friend's number at 23:00 at night with each ring only seemingly louder and louder than the next, and it wasn't until Makoto picked up, saying "hello" in that groggy, half-awake voice that Haru realized his mistake.

Right. Makoto said he didn't need this anymore. That would probably explain why he didn't call. Why he sounded so out of it when he picked up the phone just now. Why Haru felt all the blood in his body rush up to his face as he was overtaken by a sudden, overwhelming urge to throw his darn phone across the room and then hide underneath the blankets, hell bent on forgetting that this whole fiasco ever happening in the first place.

The fact that Makoto was laughing only deepened Haru's desire to drown himself in his bathtub until tomorrow, possibly even longer than that.

"Haru, I'm so sorry!" It was just like that idiot to apologize right off the bat. And he should. He caused Haru so much- Wait, was Makoto still laughing? "I should have reminded you that you didn't have to call anymore."

Haru scowled at the ceiling and kicked off his blankets, his room suddenly much too hot for his liking. Actually, he shouldn't have put so much effort into caring so much, he grumbled internally.

"It's fine." Haru huffed petulantly. "My mistake. Good night."

"Oh. Oka- Eh? Haru, are you mad at me?! I'm really, really sorry, Haru! I-"

Haru knew where this was going, and it wasn't something he would stand for. He hated it when Makoto put himself down. He had thought it was a habit that the brunette had left behind in middle school, but apparently not. Worse yet, it reared its ugly head at the most little, insignificant thing.

"Makoto. Not your fault. Don't apologize."

There was silence on the other line, and Haru, in his late night stupor, felt an irrational urge to leap out of bed and take the first train to Makoto's apartment just to punch some sense into the boy. Haru opened his mouth to reprimand his best friend and reassure him that yes, Haru was completely fine with Makoto relying on him. That he actually found pleasure in being able to give back to Makoto, even in the littlest- 

Haru immediately shut down whatever he was going to think. He must be more tired than he thought. He would never admit something as embarrassing as that; subconsciously, maybe, but never consciously.

A weak laugh pulled Haru out of his own self-mortification. "Okay. If you say so, Haru. Good night, Haru."

Haru wanted to comfort Makoto in some way, but he wasn't there, face to face with him. The best he could do was pour everything into the words that he said, "Good night, Makoto."

The laugh Haru heard this time around was better. Far more happy and much less guilty.

"Sweet dreams, Haru-chan."

And with that, there was a soft click on the other line, signalling the end of the call. Haru tosses his phone onto the floor, still wishing that he didn't embarrass himself the way he just did. Haru sighed.

At any rate, Makoto must be out of it too if he was saying Haru's name in almost every sentence. Not that Haru- 

He sat up abruptly. That's it. He was taking a cold, if not freezing, bath to clear his head. His brain was thinking things he didn't allow it to think.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
